The present invention relates to an expanding or flaring tool, in the region of one end of which are provided flaring elements for cylindrically flaring one end of a tube. The present invention also relates to an apparatus that is equipped with such a tool.
Especially in the plumbing industry, the ends of tubes or conduits are cylindrically flared with such flaring tools, whereupon another tube is inserted into the flared end of the conduit and is then soldered thereto. The heretofore known flaring tools have a plurality of flaring elements or sections that can be shifted radially outwardly via a mandrel that is axially displaceably disposed in the flaring tool. The flaring tool is first introduced into the end of the tube with the mandrel retracted. The mandrel is subsequently displaced axially forwardly, whereby the flaring elements are pressed outwardly to thereby cylindrically flare the tube end. However, considerable forces are necessary to accomplish this because the entire periphery of the tube is flared at the same time. Thus, powerful drive units are necessary for these heretofore known flaring tools. In addition, it is possible to handle only relatively soft tubes with these heretofore known flaring tools because otherwise extremely great forces must be applied to deform the tube ends. The tubes in the plumbing industry frequently are made of copper. In order to be able to flare such copper tubing, the tubes must first be soft-annealed in a complicated procedure.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a flaring tool and a flaring apparatus that make it possible to flare tubes, with relatively little force, without having to first prepare the tubes.